Cortex HDC-3000 User manual

Warnings and WEEE.............................................................................................2
Introduction..............................................................................................................3
Features...................................................................................................................4
Compatibility and Recommended Peripherals.................................................5
Device Requirements..............................................................................................5
Care and Maintenance.........................................................................................6
Operating Conditions............................................................................................6
Legal Info.................................................................................................................6
Setup Guide & Parts Diagram............................................................................7
Rear Panel & Connections...............................................................................7
Front Panel & Functions................................................................................8-9
Using the HDC-3000..........................................................................................10
Preparing for Use..........................................................................................10
Selecting Devices & Database Creation...................................................11
Database Creation (continued)...................................................................12
File Browser & Search Options...................................................................13
Search Options (continued)...................................................................14-15
Info Button & Track Attributes......................................................................16
Play Mode & Single Auto Cue....................................................................17
Options and Shuffle Mode...........................................................................18
Waveform Display.........................................................................................19
Time Display and Pitch Control...................................................................20
Jog Mode and Playlist Support..................................................................21
Cue Points and Cue Memorization.............................................................22
Device Menu...................................................................................................23
Hot Cue Menu.................................................................................................24
Seamless Loop Menu.....................................................................................25
DSP Effects Menu...........................................................................................26
Sample Menu..................................................................................................27
Firmware Updates.........................................................................................28
Error
Messages/Troubleshooting..................................................................29
Technical Specifications......................................................................................30
Warranty Information.........................................................................................31
Setup Guide
Table of Contents

CAUTION: This product satisfies FCC regulations
when shielded cables and connectors are used to
connect the unit to other equipment. To prevent elec-
tromagnetic interference with electric appliances
such as radios and televisions, use shielded cables
and connectors for connections.
The exclamation point within an equilateral trian-
gle is intended to alert the user to the presence of
important operating and maintenance (servicing)
instructions in the literature accompanying the appli-
ance.
The lightning flash with arrowhead symbol, within
an equilateral triangle, is intended to alert the user
to the presence of uninsulated "dangerous voltage"
within the product's enclosure that may be of suffi-
cient magnitude to constitute a risk of electric shock
to persons.
READ INSTRUCTIONS: All the safety and operating
instructions should be read before the product is
operated.
RETAIN INSTRUCTIONS: The safety and operating
instructions should be retained for future reference.
HEED WARNINGS: All warnings on the product and
in the operating instructions should be adhered to.
FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS: All operating and use
instructions should be followed.
CLEANING: The product should be cleaned only
with a polishing cloth or a soft dry cloth. Never clean
with furniture wax, benzine, insecticides or other
volatile liquids since they may corrode the cabinet.
ATTACHMENTS: Do not use attachments not recom-
mended by the product manufacturer as they may
cause hazards.
WATER & MOISTURE: Do not use this product near
water, for example, near a bathtub, wash bowl,
kitchen sink, or laundry tub; in a wet basement; or
near a swimming pool; and the like.
ACCESSORIES: Do not place this product on an
unstable cart, stand, tripod, bracket, or table. The
product may fall, causing serious injury to a child or
adult, and serious damage to the product. Use only
with a cart, stand, tripod, bracket, or table recom-
mended by the manufacturer, or sold with the prod-
uct. Any mounting of the product should follow the
manufacturer's instructions, and should use a mount-
ing accessory recommended by the manufacturer.
CART: A product and cart combination should be
moved with care. Quick stops, excessive force, and
uneven surfaces may cause the product and cart
combination to overturn. SEE FIGURE A.
VENTILATION: Slots and openings in the cabinet
are provided for ventilation and to ensure reliable
operation of the product and to protect it from over-
heating, and these openings must not be blocked or
covered. The openings should never be blocked by
placing the product on a bed, sofa, rug, or other
similar surface. This product should not be placed in
a built-in installation such as a bookcase or rack
unless proper ventilation is provided or the manu-
facturer's instructions have been adhered to.
POWER SOURCES: This product should be operated
only from the type of power source indicated on the
marking label. If you are not sure of the type of
power supply to your home, consult your product
dealer or local power company.
LOCATION: The appliance should be installed in a
stable location.
NON-USE PERIODS: The power cord of the appli-
ance should be unplugged from the outlet when left
unused for a long period of time.
GROUNDING OR POLARIZATION:
- If this product is equipped with a polarized alter-
nating current line plug (a plug having one blade
wider than the other), it will fit into the outlet only
one way. This is a safety feature. If you are unable
to insert the plug fully into the outlet, try reversing
the plug. If the plug should still fail to fit, contact
your electrician to replace your obsolete outlet. Do
not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized
plug.
- If this product is equipped with a three-wire
grounding type plug, a plug having a third (ground-
ing) pin, it will only fit into a grounding type power
outlet. This is a safety feature. If you are unable to
insert the plug into the outlet, contact your electri-
cian to replace your obsolete outlet. Do not defeat
the safety purpose of the grounding type plug.
POWER-CORD PROTECTION: Power-supply cords
should be routed so that they are not likely to be
walked on or pinched by items placed upon or
against them, paying particular attention to cords at
plugs, convenience receptacles, and the point where
they exit from the product.
OUTDOOR ANTENNA GROUNDING: If an outside
antenna or cable system is connected to the product,
be sure the antenna or cable system is grounded so
as to provide some protection against voltage
surges and built-up static charges. Article 810 of the
National Electrical Code, ANSI/NFPA 70, provides
information with regard to proper grounding of the
mast and supporting structure, grounding of the
lead-in wire to an antenna discharge unit, size of
grounding conductors, location of antenna-dis-
charge unit, connection to grounding electrodes, and
requirements for the grounding electrode. SEE FIGURE B.
LIGHTNING: For added protection for this product
during a lightning storm, or when it is left unattend-
ed and unused for long periods of time, unplug it
from the wall outlet and disconnect the antenna or
cable system. This will prevent damage to the prod-
uct due to lightning and power-line surges.
POWER LINES: An outside antenna system should
not be located in the vicinity of overhead power
lines or other electric light or power circuits, or
where it can fall into such power lines or circuits.
When installing an outside antenna system, extreme
care should be taken to keep from touching such
power lines or circuits as contact with them might be
fatal.
OVERLOADING: Do not overload wall outlets,
extension cords, or integral convenience receptacles
as this can result in a risk of fire or electric shock.
OBJECT & LIQUID ENTRY: Never push objects of
any kind into this product through openings as they
may touch dangerous voltage points or short-out
parts that could result in a fire or electric shock.
Never spill liquid of any kind on the product.
SERVICING: Do not attempt to service this product
yourself as opening or removing covers may expose
you to dangerous voltage or other hazards. Refer
all servicing to qualified service personnel.
DAMAGE REQUIRING SERVICE: Unplug this prod-
uct from the wall outlet and refer servicing to qual-
ified service personnel under the following condi-
tions:
- When the power-supply cord or plug is dam-
aged.
- If liquid has been spilled, or objects have fallen
into the product.
- If the product has been exposed to rain or water.
- If the product does not operate normally by fol-
lowing the operating instructions. Adjust only those
controls that are covered by the operating instruc-
tions as an improper adjustment of other controls
may result in damage and will often require exten-
sive work by a qualified technician to restore the
product to its normal operation.
- If the product has been dropped or damaged in
any way.
- When the product exhibits a distinct change in
performance, this indicates a need for service.
REPLACEMENT PARTS: When replacement parts
are required, be sure the service technician has used
replacement parts specified by the manufacturer or
have the same characteristics as the original part.
Unauthorized substitutions may result in fire, electric
shock, or other hazards.
SAFETY CHECK: Upon completion of any service or
repairs to this product, ask the service technician to
perform safety checks to determine that the product
is in proper operating condition.
WALL OR CEILING MOUNTING: The product should
not be mounted to a wall or ceiling.
HEAT: The product should be situated away from
heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves,
or other products (including amplifiers) that produce
heat.
DISPOSAL: This product shall not be treated as
household waste. Instead it shall be handed over to
the applicable collection point for the recycling of
electrical and electronic equipment. By ensuring this
product is disposed of correctly, you will help pre-
vent potential negative consequences for the envi-
ronment and human health, which could otherwise
be caused by inappropriate waste handling of this
product. The recycling of materials will help to con-
serve natural resources. For more detailed informa-
tion about recycling of this product, please contact
your local city office, your household waste disposal
service or the shop where you purchased the prod-
uct.
IMPORTANT WARNING & SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
PLEASE READ PRIOR TO OPERATING THIS DEVICE!
2

Introduction
Foreword
Preparing for First Use
Thank you for purchasing our Cortex HDC-3000. We are confident that the Cortex platform of products will not only make your life easier through
the use of the latest advancements in cross-platform connectivity and sound reproduction but will raise the bar for DJ and pro audio products. With
the proper care & maintenance, your unit will likely provide years of reliable, uninterrupted service. All Cortex products are backed by a 1-year
limited warranty*.
Please insure that you find these accessories included with the HDC-3000:
RCA audio cables...................................................................................................2
Power supply...........................................................................................................1
Tabletop mounting stands....................................................................................2
Mounting hardware for tabletop stands............................................................1
Operating instructions............................................................................................1
Warranty Card.......................................................................................................1
USB port protector cap.........................................................................................1
3

The Cortex HDC-3000 has been designed & engineered to provide dig-
ital music playback and manipulation features demanded by profession-
al users. The HDC-3000 is designed to liberate DJs from the issues asso-
ciated with PC-based solutions, by eliminating the need for a computer
during performance. The HDC-3000 also offers superior portability and
flexibility over that of a typical PC.
The Jog Wheels on the HDC-3000 provide highly precise control for a
variety of functions. With the Jog Wheel, the User can search, pitch
bend or even scratch just as if it were a vinyl turntable! As well, this
can provide an extremely powerful navigation tool for searching
menus, changing parameters and selecting music on your hard drive.
High precision 60mm slide potentiometer for accurate adjustment of
speed.
• 0.05% pitch precision
In order to provide more precise pitch adjustment, the unit is able to
advance in increments of 0.05%. This aids in beatmatching between two
musical programs, with much finer pitch resolution than can be found on
most conventional professional CD players.
• Multiple pitch ranges
With pitch ranges of 4, 8, 12, and 24%, the pitch control’s minimum and
maximum values can be altered to augment or reduce the amount of
pitch adjustment to a musical program.
• Pitch ON/OFF
By pressing the PITCH + and PITCH - buttons simultaneously, this toggles
whether or not the unit will respond to changes via the PITCH CONTROL
slide. The Pitch ON/OFF feature also functions as a pitch reset, when it
is used to turn the pitch OFF.
The backlit 192x128 graphical LCD screen shows a variety of informa-
tion, including track titles, times, pitch, setup options, waveforms, hot
starts, loops and search parameters. This display allows more extensive
visualization of parameters than a conventional CD player.
The HDC-3000 provides a wealth of effect choices for whatever style of
DJ you are. Under the hood, the HDC3000 provides two effects groups,
each having a wide variety of creative uses. Group one consists of cre-
ative remix effects such as filter, echo, flange, pan and a sampler.
Group two consists of reverse, scratch, master tempo and key adjust. Any
effect can from group one can be combined with goup two to provide a
wealth of remix options for the creative DJ.
The HDC3000 allows you to set up to 4 different Hot Cue CUE
POINTS using buttons 1-4, as well as setting a traditional cue point with
the CUE button. As your music is playing, if you would like it to jump to
one of your set CUE POINTS, simply press that individual CUE button and
the music will jump instantly. This allows the DJ to either stutter cue or
even re-sequence the program material in a creative fashion.
For further creative options, the HDC-3000 provides for seamless loops
for the DJ to use at any time. Loop In and Out points can be edited on
the fly, with no limit in time, length or position. Up to four loop can be
used per song.
The HDC-3000 offers an unparalled level of connectivity with all driver-
less USB devices. The Cortex line of products are the first to offer the
ability to manipulate music stored on USB devices such as hard drives,
flash memory, optical drives, and personal music players, regardless of
platform. Through this innovation, DJs are able to consolidate the
amount of equipment and music needed during a performance. Even
more USB devices can be connected with the use of a compatible USB
hub.
Despite the fact that a vast majority of people have access to USB stor-
age devices or portable music players, the Cortex HDC-3000 supports
the playback of CD Audio discs through a compatible USB external CD-
ROM, CD-RW, DVD-ROM, or DVD-RW drive. This is particularly useful
for DJs making a gradual migration, or for playing CDs provided by
clients. Note that both sides can share one optical drive, but only one
track can be played at a time. For dual-deck CD functionality, simply
connect two USB optical drives.
The entire line of Cortex Digital Music Players allows for the manage-
ment of music collections via a database-driven system. Using this
method, the database can be queried based on a number of different
criteria. This allows DJs to search by artist, title, genre, album, or search
string. Using this method allows the DJ to find a specific music selection
within seconds. The database is saved to the storage device the music is
being drawn from, so that it can be used with any Cortex unit, whether
it’s in your personal rig or at a club!Cue Points that have been memo-
rized using the HDC-3000 are also stored along with the database
information on the active storage device. Once a Cue Point has been
stored, DJs have the ability to recall it each time that track is loaded.
The HDC-3000 supports iPod Playlists, which can be created using Apple
iTunes®. When there are iPod Playlists available to be loaded, a menu
option will appear in the main Search Options menu
Setup Guide
Features
4
Jog Wheels
Seamless Looping
Pitch Control
Backlit LCD Display
Cross-Platform USB Connectivity
DSP Effects Processor
Cue Points/Hot Cue Storage
CD Audio support
Database-Driven Music Management
iPod Playlist Support

Operational Notes
Additional Information
When using writable storage devices, such as hard drives, and hard-
drive-based music players (iPod, Zen), certain maintenance might be
required. Because the Cortex units use streaming technology to manipu-
late more than one music file from one device simultaneously, hard drives
and hard-drive based units need to be defragmented regularly to
ensure the integrity of the streamed files.
Fragmentation refers to “the condition of a disk in which files are divid-
ed into pieces scattered around the disk. Fragmentation occurs naturally
when you use a disk frequently, creating, deleting, and modifying files.
At some point, the operating system needs to store parts of a file in non-
contiguous clusters. This is entirely invisible to users, but it can slow down
the speed at which data is accessed because the disk drive must search
through different parts of the disk to put together a single file.”
Maintaining these storage devices must be done via your computer, and
should be performed whenever there has been a substantial change to
your music library (adding/deleting music). Note that failure to maintain
your storage devices might result in delayed access times and glitchy
audio playback.
• With Windows XP based machines
First, connect the storage device that you wish to defragment. If you are
connecting a hard-drive based music player, such as an Apple iPod or
Microsoft Zune, make sure to exit any applications that may be launched
on connection.
To load Disk Defragmenter, go to the Start menu, and find Disk
Defragmenter under Accessories/System Tools.
When Disk Defragmenter has been loaded, select the device to be
defragmented, and click the ‘Defragment’ button at the bottom of the
window.
For more information on defragmenting, consult the Windows Help guide.
• With Apple Macintosh Machines
According to Apple, provisions within the HFS file allocation system
diminish the need for any type of defragmentation. Because of this,
there is no software included in OSX to accomplish this. However, this
does not guarantee that defragmentation will not be necessary for
external storage devices and portable music players.
For more information on Apple’s claims, see this article:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=25668
Due to the sometimes fragile state of PC components, we insist that you
make backups of the storage devices that you plan on using with the
Cortex. All hard drives (and hard-drive-based portable music players),
are prone to failure - they have moving parts inside. Instead of taking a
chance that your hard drive will last one more performance, one more
month, or one more year, it is a far more intelligent choice to back up
your data for the worst case scenario.
Neither Cortex nor your retailer will be held responsible for data loss
because of the lack of backups.
To clean the HDC-3000, use only a dry soft cloth and/or compressed air.
If the unit is soiled with stubborn dirt, we suggest using a 2:1 solution of
distilled water and 30% isopropyl alcohol. Avoid using harsh cleaning
chemicals such as benzene, paint thinner, bleach, or hydrochloric acid,
which will damage the unit.
For optimum performance, the temperature of the operating environment
should be between +5º C to +35º C (+41º F - +95º F). Failure to main-
tain proper operating temperature may result in difficulty reading the
LCD display, thermal overload, or system-wide instability. Avoid expos-
ing the unit to direct sunlight.
When placing the unit in an installation, make sure that it is placed on a
stable surface, as far away from vibrations as possible. Even though the
Cortex is impervious to vibration, the storage devices (specifically hard
drive based ones) that are designed to be used in conjunction with it are
typically not. Also be sure not to place or use the player on heat gener-
ating sources, such as amplifiers or near spotlights.
Never use any other power supply other than the one provided with the
unit, as doing so may damage the unit and void the warranty. The power
supply included with the HDC-3000 is a custom made supply and is not
commercially available.
Neither Cortex nor its dealers assume responsibility for the use made of
the HDC-3000. The user must ensure he/she has all relevant licenses
and consents in place (whether for copyright/public performance, per-
formers rights, moral rights or otherwise) to allow the lawful use of the
HDC-3000. This is likely to include licenses from organizations adminis-
tering performance rights in audio recordings or consents from any other
relevant rights holders.
The Cortex line of units, although designed to streamline the process by
which DJs perform, is not designed as a tool to facilitate media piracy.
We urge that our users legitimately purchase the music they plan to use,
and support the artists who make it possible for them to sustain a career
as a professional entertainer.
Maintaining Storage Devices
Lawful Use of HDC-3000
Cleaning the Unit
Operating Conditions
Always Make Backups!
5

Important Notice
Before operating this unit, please verify that you have the latest firmware version available from our
website - http://www.cortex-pro.com. New versions of the HDC-3000 firmware will include additional
features, bug fixes, and enhanced compatibility to guarantee optimum performance of your unit. There
are even Spanish and French language versions, to make operating the HDC-3000 easier than ever!
Additionally, please also download our FREE Cortex Database Creation Software, which allows you to
create searchable databases of your entire music collection within minutes! This indispensable utility is
designed to save you time when preparing large storage devices to use with the HDC-3000.
To find out what version of HDC-3000 firmware you are running:
1. Power on the HDC-3000 with NO DEVICES CONNECTED.
2. At the prompt that says ‘Insert Devices,’ press the INFO button.
3. The screen will display the version number of the currently installed HDC-3000
firmware.
To upgrade your firmware to the newest version:
1. Using your PC, download the firmware update to the root directory of your USB stor-
age device (X:\ where X is the letter of the drive). We recommend Internet Explorer.
2. Connect the USB storage device to the HDC-3000.
3. Power on the HDC-3000, and select the aforementioned device.
4. The unit will display the date/version of the new update, and will ask if you want to
update. Select ‘YES,’ and press enter.
5. The unit will go through a 8-step update procedure, after which the power will auto-
matically shut down. When the unit is powered on again, you will be running the latest
firmware.
Warning: If the power is interrupted or the USB device is removed during this process, it can
damage the operating system of the unit. As well, it is advisable that the unit is not moved
during the update process to make sure that the process is uninterrupted.
For more detailed information about Firmware Updates, including screen shots, please
see the Firmware Updates section of the manual (page 24).
6

Setup Guide
Parts Diagram and Functions
Rear Panel
1. AUDIO OUT L/R RCA connectors, side 1
RCA type unbalanced stereo audio output. These connectors output
audio signal generated from Side 1 of the HDC-1000 unit.
2. AUDIO OUT L/R RCA connectors, side 2
RCA type unbalanced stereo audio output. These connectors output
audio signal generated from Side 2 of the HDC-1000 unit.
3. USB connector (type A)
This connector is used to attach the USB mass storage device (MSD) that
contains your music library. Suitable mass storage devices include, but
are not limited to: external hard drives, flash memory, portable digital
music players, CD/DVD-ROM drives, memory card readers, and active
USB hubs.
4. DC inlet w/security clamp
This connector is used in conjunction with the AC adapter to power the
unit. Next to the DC inlet connector is a security clamp, which can be
fastened over top of the cable to prevent it from being dislodged.
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Setup Guide
Parts Diagram and Functions
Front Panel
1. USB connector (type A)
This connector is used to attach the USB mass storage device that con-
tains your music library. Suitable mass storage devices include, but are
not limited to: external hard drives, flash memory, portable digital
music players, CD/DVD-ROM drives, memory card readers, and active
USB hubs.
2. JOG MODE button/indicator
Each time this button is pressed, this button controls alternately whether
the JOG WHEEL will function as PITCH BEND or FF/REW. When the
LED indicator is lit, it indicates that the JOG WHEEL will function as
FF/REW.
3. INFO button
When this button is pressed, the LCD DISPLAY will show all of the attrib-
utes of the currently playing track. When the unit is in SEARCH MODE,
pressing INFO on a highlighted digital music file will also show these
attributes. The UP/DOWN arrows and JOG WHEEL can be used to
advance through pages of attributes, when necessary.
4. PLAY MODE button
When this button is pressed, the LCD DISPLAY will return to the state
that relates to playback. This means that the track name, time remain-
ing (or elapsed), pitch percentage, and visual time indicators will be
displayed on the screen. This button can be used at any time, with the
exception of when the unit is creating a database.
5. SEARCH MODE button
When this button is pressed, the LCD DISPLAY will return to the state
that relates the search function of the unit. This means that track titles,
artist names, album names, genre classifications, playlists, file names, or
search criteria will be displayed on the screen. This button can be used
at any time, with the exception of when the unit is creating a database.
6. LCD DISPLAY panel
This blue-backlit display is a 192x128 LCD that displays information
such as track/waveform, folders, parameter adjustments and search
information. Contrast is available in the Edit menu.
7. PITCH ON/OFF indicator and PITCH BEND buttons
Pressing both PITCH BEND (+) and PITCH BEND (-) simultaneously tog-
gles whether or not the unit will respond to changes made to the pitch
via the PITCH BEND buttons, PITCH CONTROL slide, and JOG WHEEL.
PITCH is engaged when the LED indicator is lit. Momentary adjustments
to PITCH can be made by pressing the PITCH BEND (+) or PITCH BEND
(-) button. The range of the PITCH CONTROL can be changed by hold-
ing the SHIFT and pressing the PITCH BEND (+) or PITCH BEND (-) but-
ton. The pitch range will be displayed in the lower right hand corner
of the LCD DISPLAY panel. If KEY ADJUST is enabled then these arrows
adjust KEY in +-5 half steps.
8. PITCH CONTROL slide
This slide, when pushed towards the bottom of the unit (+), increases the
tempo of playback. When the slide is pushed towards the top of the
unit (-), the tempo of playback is decreased.
9. PLAY/PAUSE button/indicator
When the LED indicator which illuminates this button is lit solidly, it indi-
cates that the unit is in PLAY mode. When the LED indicator is flashing,
it indicates that the unit is in PAUSE mode.
10. CUE button/indicator
When the LED indicator which illuminates this button is lit, it indicates
that there is a CUE POINT memorized. See page 20 for detailed infor-
mation about setting, memorizing, and recalling CUE POINTS.
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Setup Guide
Parts Diagram and Functions
Front Panel (continued)
11. NAVIGATOR keypad
These buttons allow the user to navigate through menus and features of
the HDC-1000. Depending on the mode of the unit, the buttons may
serve different purposes.
13. SHIFT button
Holding down the SHIFT button extends the use of certain buttons on the
unit, by providing alternate functions.
14. JOG WHEEL
The JOG WHEEL controls many aspects of the unit, and can be used for
navigating through menus, searching through music and manipulation of
pitch. The behavior of the JOG WHEEL is dependent on the mode of
operation, as well as the status of the PITCH ON/OFF indicator and
JOG MODE.
15. POWER button
The POWER button can be pressed momentarily to turn ON the unit; to
turn off the unit, the POWER button must be held down for 5 seconds.
16. SINGLE button
When this button is pressed momentarily, the state of playback (SIN-
GLE or CONTINUE) will be displayed on each side’s respective LCD
DISPLAY. To change the state of playback, hold the SHIFT button on the
side of the unit you wish to change, and press the SINGLE button
momentarily. The new state of playback (SINGLE or CONTINUE) will
then be displayed on that side’s respective LCD DISPLAY panel.
17. TIME MODE button
This button dictates whether the unit will display textual and visual time
information relating to the TIME REMAINING or TIME ELAPSED.
Pressing this button momentarily changes the TIME MODE of both sides
of the unit, while holding SHIFT and momentarily pressing TIME will
change the TIME MODE of only that respective side.
17. DSP button
This button engages the DSP menu. From this menu, DSP effects such as
filter, flange, echo, etc can be both engaged and edited. Any changes
that are made can be saved to the unit for recall at a later point.
18. Loops button
This button engages the loop menu. Up to 4 loops can be saved and
edited per song, and upon loop creation the in and out points can be
edited on the fly. Loops are automatically saved to the MSD for later
use.
19. Hot Cue button
This button engages the Hot Cue menu. Up to 4 hot cue’s are available
per song. Hot Cues are automatically saved to the MSD for later use.
20.Samples button
This button will engage the samples menu. Up to 4 samples can be used
at any time.
21. Multifunction buttons (1-4)
Depending on which menu you are in, these buttons do everything from
engage loops to select parameters. These options are specific to each
menu-please read each section of the manual relating to the specific
menu in question to learn the function of each key.
20.Edit button
This button will engage the edit menu. From this menu the user can edit
low level functions of the unit, such as pitch range, device selection,
waveform creation and even the unit’s internal clock.
23. BPM/Key Adjust/Master Tempo buttons
These buttons engage functions that change how the pitch is used. BPM
will display the Beats Per Minute of the track in real time, and reflect
any changes made on the pitch fader. Key adjust changes the key of
the song without changing the speed. Master Tempo changes the speed
without changing the pitch. Both Master Tempo and Key can be used in
combination with the BPM button as well. When Key Adjust is enabled
then the PITCH BEND buttons act to change KEY instead of acting as a
PITCH BEND.
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STEP ONE
Connect the AC adapter to the DC Inlet, found on the rear of the unit.
Fasten the Security Clamp (found directly below the DC Inlet jack) on top
of the cable, so that it is not possible for the cable to become dislodged.
STEP TWO
Connect the RCA Audio Outputs on both sides of the unit to a suitable
audio mixer. When connecting the unit, make sure you note that the Side
1 outputs carry audio from the left side deck, and Side 2 outputs carry
audio from the right side of the deck.
STEP THREE
Connect your primary USB device to the port found in the center of the
rear panel. You may choose any driverless device that follows FAT32,
NTFS, or HFS+ file systems. You may also connect a powered (active)
USB hub to augment the amount of available ports. If required, you
may also connect a device to the front USB port.
STEP FOUR
Press and Hold the Power button located in the center of the front panel
for about 1-2 seconds. The unit will take about 5-10 seconds to boot up
as well as detect any USB devices that are currently connected.
Using the HDC-3000
Preparing for Use
Fig 1.1 - Connect Power
Fig 1.2 - Connect Audio
Fig 1.3 - Connect USB
Fig 1.4 - Turn Power ON
10

STEP ONE - DEVICE SELECTION
When prompted, select the desired storage device, on each side, that
you wish to access. Use the Navigator Keypad to advance through the
list of devices, and press Enter to select.
If necessary, you can also connect other USB storage devices without
powering down the unit.
Note that when you select a storage device on one side, the unit will be
required to complete any necessary Database Creation before being
able to select a device on the opposite side. During this time, the oppo-
site screen will display “Wait for other side.”
STEP TWO - INDEXING
Once you have selected a device, the unit will search for a database of
the music that exists on that device. If it is the first time you are using
that particular unit with the HDC-3000, the unit will prompt you to per-
form indexing, so that you can search for any song within seconds. If you
already have used the storage device with the HDC-3000, skip to STEP
TWO - VERIFICATION.
If you wish to create the database using the HDC-3000, select ‘YES’
from this prompt.
During the indexing procedure, the unit must create a database based
off of the ID3 tags that exist on the storage device. The speed of this
procedure directly relates to how many songs are stored on the connect-
ed device. If you are using a hard drive over 20 gigs, or an NTFS
device, we suggest that you use the Cortex Database Creation PC appli-
cation to perform the indexing, as it will save time (especially with a fast
CPU). The Cortex Database Creation software is available for FREE
from http://www.cortex-pro.com in the HDC-3000 section of the site.
Once the indexing procedure has begun, it can be cancelled by pressing
the Info button.
VERIFICATION
If your storage device has already been indexed, you will be presented
with a prompt allowing you to verify the database. For each time that
you add files to your storage device, you will either have to use the
Verify function to add those files to the index, or use the Cortex
Database Creation PC application.
We strongly suggest using the Database Creation application, as it can
process files at many times the speed of the HDC-3000 itself.
Selecting Devices & Database Creation
Select device 1/3:
>USB Mass Storage Dev..
Maxtor RTIH24
Apple iPod
Device has no
DataBase. Perform
indexing now?
<YES> NO
Creating DataBase...
--< Search... >---
/Old School Hip Hop/
songs: 248
Fig 2.1 - Select USB device for each side of unit
Fig 2.2 - Create Database by selecting ‘YES’
Fig 2.3 - Database Creation Screen
Fig 2.4- Every time music is added to your storage device, the data-
base must be verified and updated in order to index the new songs.
DataBase found.
Would you like to
verify it now?
YES <NO>
Using the HDC-3000
11

STEP TWO - VERIFICATION (CONTINUED)
If you select ‘YES’ at the prompt to verify, you will have the option to
either verify the entire database, or to verify a single directory at a
time. If you keep your collection organized within separate directories,
you can easily select just the directories which you know have been
updated.
If you press Enter at this prompt, you will be given access to the file
browser, from which you can select the directory that you wish to update.
Shift+Enter will verify all directories, and might take awhile if you have
a vast music library.
Once the verification procedure has begun, it can be cancelled by press-
ing the Info button.
If you choose to enter the File Browser, you then must find the directory
you wish to verify. If you are using an iPod, this will be impossible, simply
due to the fact that iTunes renames all of the music on the iPod to random
letters and numbers, making it impossible to differentiate between file-
names. Once you are finished verifying directories, select the very top
option, labeled ‘<.......>’.
Once you are finished with verifying, simply choose the option labeled
‘Exit from Verify.’
Congratulations! You are now ready to start searching through your
music library quickly and efficiently. Using this method will help you
locate any song in your collection quicker than ever before.
Database Creation (continued)
-<Verifying>-
>File Browser >
Exit from Verify
-<Verifying>-
File Browser >
>Exit from Verify
-<Verifying>-
..... >
.db >
>Maps of Norway >
Welcome to CORTEX,
the world of
Intelligent Sound
Press any key...
Fig 2.5 - Verification of separate directories vs all directories
Fig 2.6 - Selecting directories to verify one-at-a-time
Fig 2.7 - Welcome screen shows unit is ready for use
Using the HDC-3000
12
press Enter to
select dir to verify
Shift+Enter to
verify all subdir

File Browser and Search Options
Section Three: File Browser and Search Options
USING THE FILE BROWSER
The File Browser is designed to allow you to view the directory structure
found on a connected storage device, rather than search by specific cri-
teria. This can be helpful if you keep your music collection in order, but
can also help to locate a song that may not have the appropriate ID3
tag information. When a track does not have an ID3 tag, it will not be
added to the searchable database of tracks, but will still be accessible
via the string search option.
Once you enter the File Browser, you will be presented with the file struc-
ture exactly as it exists on the storage device. Use the Jog Wheel or the
Navigator Keypad to advance through entries. To go back to the Main
Menu, press the left Arrow Key.
When you have found the MP3 file that you wish to play, simply press
Enter, and the track will load into the temporary playlist. Press Enter
again to load the track for play. You may press the Search Mode but-
ton, found at the top of the unit, at any time to return to the Search
Options menu. Similarly, when you are in Search Mode, you may press
the Play Mode button to return to the play screen.
SEARCH OPTIONS
The database-driven searching of the HDC-3000 provides DJs with a
quick and easy way to find tracks amongst a large library, by allowing
the user to search by Song, Artist, Genre, Album, or String. Simply
choose one of these Search Options, and that particular criteria will be
displayed in alphabetical order.
Search by Songs
When you Search by Songs, you will see presented with all of the track
titles in the database that has been created by the HDC-3000 or the
helper software application.
Search by Artists
When you choose Search by Artists, you can narrow down the amount of
results by first selecting the artist you wish to browse, then you can easily
select the track you want to play.
>File Browser
Search by String
Search by Artists
Search by Genres
<previous> >
.db >
>Awesome Snakes >
Baby Guts >
Fig 3.1 - Selecting File Browser from Main Menu
Fig 3.2 - Browsing file/directory structure using File Browser
Fig 3.3 - Browsing files in a directory using File Browser
Fig 3.4 - Searching by song title
Fig 3.5 - Searching by artist
> <previous> >
MC/VL-Buckner
MC/VL-Cold Check It
MC/VL-Monkeyshines
> <previous> >
24 Reasons Why
Awesome Snakes
MC/VL
<previous> >
Awesome Snakes -P.O.S
Awesome Snakes -Futur
Awesome Snakes -Veno
Using the HDC-3000
13

SEARCH OPTIONS (CONTINUED)
Search by Genres
When Search by Genres is chosen, you will be presented with a list of
all of the genres found in the database. Because not every MP3 has ID3
genre tagging, some tracks may not be displayed in this search. Once
you select a genre from the list, you will be able to browse all songs
within that genre.
Search by Album
Using the Search by Album option will allow you to search by the name
of the album that a track is from. Keep in mind that this option also may
not allow you to access all tracks, because sometimes singles are sold
separately and are not taken from any specific album. Once you select
an album, all of the tracks found under that album will be displayed.
Search by String
One of the most convenient features of the HDC-3000 is string search,
which allows you to find a specified word or string of words within the
database. This is exceptionally helpful when you (or your client) has a
request, but does not know the exact title or artist.
Once you have selected ‘Search by String,’ you will be presented with a
prompt where you may input a word or series of words that will be used
when querying the database.
Using the Jog Wheel or Up/Down arrows (on the Navigator Keypad),
enter the first letter of the Search String. Use the Right arrow or the
Enter Key to advance to the next space, and enter the next letter. You
may press the Left arrow to go back to the previous letter, or press
Shift+Left to backspace (deletes the previous letter).
Finally, when the Search String is entered, you will need to press the
Enter key twice, and the unit will execute the search.
Search Options (continued)
> <previous> >
Acapella
Breakbeat
Classical
> <previous> >
Stance
Start Again
Venom
Fig 3.6 - Searching by genre
Fig 3.7 - Searching by album
Fig 3.8 - String Search input prompt
Fig 3.81 - Using Keyboard or Jog wheel to
input a search string
Input Search String:
|
Input Search String:
MC/VL
Using the HDC-3000
14

SEARCH OPTIONS (CONTINUED)
Once you press Enter twice, the unit will begin processing your search.
Depending on the size of your library, this may take awhile.
After the unit is finished executing the search, it will display the results
that were found for each category: Titles, Artists, Genres, and Albums -
each of which can be accessed by using the Navigation Pad Arrow
Keys or the Jog Wheel. Note that the amount of results found under
each category will be displayed in parenthesis. In this example, there
are 10 titles of songs with the word “MC/VL” in them, and 1 artist.
Once you have chosen a category - Titles, Artists, Genres, or Albums, you
will browse through the selections as if you were in any of the other
search modes. Once again, you may select a track using the Jog Wheel
or Navigation Pad, and press Enter to load it.
Search Options (continued)
Processing
< < < <
Exit Search >
>Titles-(10) >
Artists-(1) >
Genres-(0) >
> <previous> >
MC/VL-Buckner
MC/VL-Cold Check It
MC/VL-Ulysses
Fig 3.82 - Processing the Search
Fig 3.83 - Displaying result categories
Fig 3.9- Selecting a matching title from the executed search
Using the HDC-3000
15

Section Four: Info Button and Track Attributes
You will find that the Info Button, located to the top right of each jog
wheel, will become an indispensable part of using the HDC-3000.
Despite the HDC-3000 being able to display an adequate amount of
information on the LCD, not every attribute of each track can be dis-
played all at once. Additionally, there will be times when you may run
into two tracks with the same title, and the Info Button will help to reveal
which track you truly want to select.
While in Play Mode or Search Mode, pressing the Info button will dis-
play all attributes relating to the currently playing or currently selected
track (depending on whether you are in Play or Search Mode).
The Info function displays:
Artist - Artist as per what is listed in the ID3 tag
Title - Title as per what is listed in the ID3 tag
Album - Album as per what is listed in the ID3 tag
Type of File - Whether the file is MP3 or WAV
Genre - Genre as per what is listed in the ID3 tag
Path & Filename - Exactly how it exists in the directory structure of the
storage device
Note that most of the attributes are taken directly from the ID3 tag
found in the MP3 file. If the ID3 tag is missing any of these attributes,
they will not be displayed in the Info screens. Also note that if you are
using a .Wav file, .Wav files do not use ID3 tags, and as such the DB
software will place the file name into the Title section of the Info field.
Once you have pressed the Info button, you will be presented with all of
the attributes relating to the currently playing or selected track. You
may use the Navigation Keypad or the Jog Wheel to scroll up and
down to view all of the information.
To exit the Info screens, you may press the Info Button again, or you may
press either the Search or Play Mode buttons to jump immediately to
those modes, when applicable.
Info Button & Track Attributes
artist : MC/VL
title : Monkey Shines
album: Stance
type : mp3
genre: Hip Hop
time : 02.33
path : /songs/MC_VL/
MC_VL-Monkey Shines
MC_VL-808.mp3
size : 7452 Kb
Fig 4.1 - The Info Button is used to display all track attributes
Fig 4.2 - Information Screen 1 of 3
Fig 4.3 - Information Screen 2 of 3
Fig 4.4 - Information Screen 3 of 3
Using the HDC-3000
16

Section Five: Play Mode
The Play Mode is the heart of the Cortex HDC-3000. Just like conven-
tional CD players, the HDC-3000 allows you to select multiple pitch
ranges, memorize cue points, and frame accurate searching. The HDC-
3000 excels over traditional CD players, as it is much faster at loading
and starting playback, it has a more informative LCD display, and it can
memorize cue points for future performances.
Entering Play Mode
By default, when you press Enter to select a track from Search Mode, the
unit will immediately load the track and enter Play Mode.
If music is already playing and you wish to return to the Play Mode
screen, simply press the Play Mode button.
Single Mode (Single Auto Cue)
Single Mode, when a track is loaded, will automatically cue to the first
frame of audio, and then wait for you to press Play. At the end of that
track, the unit will pause. To engage this mode, press Shift+Single on
each side you wish to engage this mode on.
When Single Mode is off when loading a track, the unit will begin play-
ing immediately. At the end of that track, the unit will continue to play
the next file displayed in the Search Results. When Single Mode is off,
this gives you the ability to play all of the Search Results in the order
that they were displayed. Pressing Shift+Single on each side will also
allow you to turn Single Mode off.
Pressing the Single button by itself will display, on both screens, the sta-
tus of each side - whether or not Single Mode is on or off.
Play Mode and Single Auto Cue
POS is Ruining My Life
+ 1:08:22
>>>>>-------------------------
Pitch 6.15%
Track Title
Time Display Pitch Value
Progress Indicator
SINGLE ON
>>>>>>>>>>>--------------
+ 2:32:57 6.15%
+
Fig 5.1 - Play Mode Screen
Fig 5.11 - Entering Play Mode
Fig 5.2 - LCD Display shows status of Single Mode
Fig 5.3- Using Shift+Single to toggle Single or Continuous modes
Using the HDC-3000
17

Section Six: Edit Mode
The Edit Mode on the HDC-3000 is the command center for the unit. In
Edit Mode, the user can edit options for how the unit functions, playlists
and choose the active device.
Options Menu
This mode is probably the one you will use the most in the Edit menu.
From here you can edit the following options-
-Shuffle-Toggles Shuffle On/Off
-Auto Cue-Sets the Cue to the start of the audio of a track
-LCD Contrast-Adjust the Contrast of the LCD Screens
-Enable Pitch-Turns Pitch On/Off
-Pitch Bending-Sets speed of pitch bend-slow/medium/fast
-Pitch Range-Sets range of pitch fader-4/8/16/24%
-Time-Toggles display between time elapsed/remaining
-Single-Toggles Single play mode
-BPM-Turns the BPM counter on/off
-Jog-Toggles between search and pitch for the jog wheel
-Touch-Toggles Touch Sensitivity for Jog Wheel
-DB Creation-Toggles DB creation for new media on/off
-Date and Time-Lets user set internal clock
-Wave Options-Lets user choose where waveform is created, if it is
saved to media and the size in seconds of the waveform displayed on
the screen.
-Shuffle Mode-Enables Shuffle mode
-Auto Recall Hot Cue/Loops-Turns on/off auto save/recall of Loops and
Hot Cues.
Playlist Editor
This menu lets the user enter the playlist editor menu. For more informa-
tion please see section Nine on page 21.
Choose Active Device Menu
This menu lets the user toggle between devices connected to the unit. This
can come in handy if the user chooses to switch between multiple storage
devices or a CD-rom.
Shuffle Mode
A useful feature for unattended playback is Shuffle Mode. This feature
randomly selects tracks based on what is narrowed down using the Search
Criteria and loaded into a Playlist. For instance, if you select All Songs as
your Search Criteria and load them into a Playlist, then the unit will ran-
domly select songs from that list. Shuffle Mode can be turned on/off
directly from the Options Menu.
Options Menu and Shuffle Mode
Edit Menu
Options
Playlist Editor
Choose Active Device
Loops
Options
Shuffle Off
Auto Cue On
LCD Contrast 1
Enable Pitch On
Pitch Bending Slow
Pitch Range 4%
Fig 6.1 - Play Mode Screen
Fig 6.2 - LCD Display shows Options Mode
Using the HDC-3000
18
SHUFFLE ON
>>>>>-----------------------
+ 1:08:22 6.15%
Fig 6.4 - LCD Display shows Shuffle Status
Select device 1/3:
>USB Mass Storage Dev.
Imation-Flash Disk
Generic-Flash Disk
Fig 6.3 - Mass Storage Selection

BPM Instructions (revised)
The B.P.M. value determines the Tem o that any articular
song lays at.
The HDC-3000 will automatically calculate and dis lay this
Tem o as a numerical value known as B.P.M.(Beats Per
Minute).
The BPM button, (see Figure 1) has Three modes Auto, Manual
and Off.
By ressing and holding the button for 2 sec you can access
each mode individually.
(the main dis lay will momentarily flash which mode you are in
where the song title is normally shown)
AUTO MODE
The HDC-3000 will calculate the BPM for you automatically.
MANUAL MODE
By using the BPM button to TAP-IN the tem o of the beat you
can manually in ut the BPM of any song.
In both the AUTO and MANUAL modes you can save the new
BPM info to the ID3 tag of the songs m 3 file info by holding
down the Shift button while ressing the BPM at the same time
(see figure 2).
Once stored this information is ermanently written to the ID3
tag, but can always be overwritten by re eating this rocedure.
OFF MODE
The HDC-3000 will not dis lay or calculate BPM information.
BPM SEARCH
The HDC-3000 allows you to search by BPM so the more of
your files that have BPM information in thier ID3 tags the more
com rehensive the BPM search.
(Note: Songs with no BPM in thier ID3 tag will default to a BPM
value of zero.)
BPM Instructions (addendum)
HDC-3000
(figure # 1)
(figure # 2)
18(A)

Section Seven: Waveform Display
Waveforms are a visual representation of the program material. Using
the waveform display, you can not only see volume fluctuations in the
music but even when the “breakdowns” are coming. This can help to visu-
ally mix as well as mix by audio.
Waveforms can be created in two places-in the unit or in the Cortex DB
software. This can be downloaded from www.cortex-pro.com.
In the Edit menu you can choose if a waveform is created upon song
load or if it will be created offline. While we have included this feature
to be used in case of emergency, due to processing time we recommend
you create the waveform in the DB software so there is no delay in
being able to play your music. If you wish to cancel the creation of a
waveform then press the Enter button to cancel the process. If the same
song is loaded on both sides then only one side will create the wave-
form.
Waveforms will be displayed across the top of the screen, above the
progress bar. Sections of 5, 10, 20 and 40 seconds can be displayed on
the screen at any given time. Additionally, the user can choose if the
waveform itself scrolls or if the cursor runs along the bottom of a static
waveform.
Waveform Display
Using the HDC-3000
Fig 7.1 - Waveform Creation
Fig 7.2 - Waveform Display
Creating Waveform:32%
Press Enter To Cancel
>-------------------------------
Pitch 1.05%
19